MERCURY RISING by Rebecca Zanetti

Scorpius Syndrome Book 1

Zebra

January 26^th, 2016

978-1-4201-3794-1

Post-Apocalyptic, Romantic Suspense

Mass Market Paperback

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Self-Purchase

4 Hearts

 

For Lynne Harmony, former head of the CDC, life as she knew it disappeared when the Scorpius Syndrome ravaged the world with an alarming speed. Those who were infected either died, survived but changed or turned into Rippers, serial killers with no moral compass and a taste for blood. As one of the first survivors of this disease, she has nothing to lose as she makes her way to California and to the one man she hopes can help her- Jax Mercury.

Jax Mercury is rough, tough and determined to keep his band of survivors alive. He never anticipates the woman everyone either wants her dead for not stopping the disease or alive but used as a guinea pig for her blood that might be the cure walking into his territory in Los Angeles. She was feisty, determined and was hell on his self-control. But with Lynne running from powerful enemies who want her, Jax will have to decide if he will protect the one woman who needs him more than ever and who stole his heart when he wasn’t looking.

MERCURY RISING is an exciting thrill ride from start to finish. Peppered with strong, entertaining characters in a backdrop of a world that is utterly destroyed within six months and you got a story that will keep you glued to the pages. Ms. Zanetti hits it out of the ballpark with her first book in the Scorpius Syndrome series and I, for one, could not get enough of it. It was engrossing and entertaining; I didn’t want to put it down when I had to go to work. The story flows smoothly and quickly, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat with each twist and turn. This is an author who created a dark place where the world has basically ended as we knew it and new one is rising from the ashes, abit a world where laws and government, internet and life as we knew it are changed forever. A desolate world, Ms. Zanetti captures the background perfectly within the pages of MERCURY RISING. The determination of the survivors to get back to normal, the fear of a stronger Scorpius Syndrome running rampant, the mercenaries and gangs determined to get their territory secure in whatever means necessary. With scenes of looted buildings, empty houses and business and vehicles left all over, the author creates a backdrop that makes the reader shiver as they flip the pages as the thought runs through my mind that this could really happen, a bacteria causing such chaos.

MERCURY RISING is more than man meets woman and live forever in love. It’s about two people who are trying to survive in whatever capacity that can. The characters are well written, life-like and quite multi-dimensional. Lynne and Jax are perfect for one another as Lynne brings out Jax’s softness while Jax gives her the strength to continue onward. These two struck sparks right off the bat and I was rooting for these two right from the beginning. The sex scenes are quite hot and moved the story along instead of just being there because the author needed to check it off a list. The secondary characters are as well written as the main characters and when the author finally lets it known who is after Lynne, well let’s just say I was shocked to the core and eager to read more to see where the story would go.

MERCURY RISING is a fast paced story with enough action and romance balanced out that it didn’t feel lacking in anything. This is an author who knows how to draw their readers in and captivate them till the very end. Once I got to the final few chapters, I was flipping the pages like mad, hoping that nothing will ruin Jax and Lynne’s romance. I won’t give away too much but say that the ending alone will cause you to gasp in shock. I can not wait to read book two, Shadow Rising, and see where the author goes in this exciting series next.

If you enjoy a story full of twists, action and romance then you will enjoy this new series from an author who is a master storyteller. I look forward to seeing where this author goes next for their readers.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

I’LL NEVER LET YOU GO by Mary Burton

Morgan’s of Nashville Book 3

Zebra

November 3^rd, 2015

978-1-4201-3215-1

Romantic Suspense

Paperback ARC

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Publisher

3.5 Hearts



Four years ago, Leah Carson’s life came crashing down around her as her husband almost succeeded in killing her. Now trying to get on with her life, Leah finds that the past she so hard has tried to put behind her has risen from the ashes and is hell bent on causing her more fear as well as her death. For Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agent Alex Morgan, he knows there is more to the puzzle of Leah Carson but when murder hits close to home, both Alex and Leah will have to let their guard down and trust one another because someone wants Leah dead for good and it will take all of Alex’s investigative power to untangle the puzzle because if he doesn’t, then Leah is gone for good.

Oh lord, Ms. Burton delivers a heart stopping ride from start to finish in her latest novel set in Nashville and around the Morgan family. This time we meet Alex Morgan’s love interest and the mystery that surrounds her. Ms. Burton’s writing is riveting and kept me in suspense especially as she tosses in a few twists and turns that left me reeling. The killer is smart, determined and there are layers upon layers of this killer as they play a twisted game with Leah and Alex. Ms. Burton is a master storyteller who knows how to keep her readers intrigued till the very last page. The characters are well written and quite life-like. The plot is very well done with a few twists to keep the reader on their toes as they flip the pages.

Meet Alex Morgan and Leah Carson. Four years before, Leah was stabbed twenty-three times by her psycho-cop of a husband and since then has tried to move on and forget about the past. But it haunts her even today. When murder strikes and it has similarities to her stabbing, she fears that her ex-husband is back and is determined to kill her for good. Alex Morgan is intense, doesn’t show his emotions and is called ‘Ice Man’ by his siblings because of it. Sparks fly when he meets Leah and is intrigued by the fragile beauty that has fear in her eyes. He knows there is more to Leah’s story than she is willing to tell. I loved these two together. Leah may have been fragile and afraid but she had a inner core of steel that came out at the right time, in my opinion. Alex was a delight to see as he fell for Leah while using all his resources to find a killer before he struck again. His closed off personality lightened whenever he was with Leah and I loved how that made him more human and real. Lea made him a better person in my opinion with her charm and love. Ms. Burton does a great job in capturing Leah and Alex’s hidden vulnerabilities and bringing them out as well as the strength they have in one another. Adding in the rest of the Morgan siblings just made the story stronger as family ties and gave the story much depth as we caught up with the family.
I’LL NEVER LET YOU GO is a satisfying suspense filled novel that will keep you highly entertained from start to finish. I am eager to see where the author goes next in the series and look forward to revisiting the Morgans’ again in the future. If you are looking for a spooky twist filled story to read on a dark and stormy night, then this one is perfect. You can read it as a stand alone book but I highly recommend reading books one and two first as you get to meet the Morgan siblings and see what surprises that play out in future books.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

 

BE AFRAID by Mary Burton

Sequel to COVER YOUR EYES
Zebra
May 2015
978-1-4201-3213-7
Romantic Suspense, Thriller/Mystery
Paperback ARC
Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained by Publisher

4 Hearts




On leave from her job in the Boston Police Department, Forensic Artist Jenna Thompson returns to Nashville to think on where she wants to go in her career and try to figure out the hazy memories that surround her even as closure in that is not even close. Detective Rick Morgan is a man determined to solve a baffling crime and he needs Jenna’s help. With murders piling up, it will take the combined help of Jenna as well as Rick to bring justice to the victims as well as closing a case that dates far back to the time of Jenna Thompson’s childhood. The question is can they catch a killer before they strike next?

I got to admit I loved the first book, Cover Your Eyes, and I found BE AFRAID a worthy sequel to enjoy. The pace is fast; writing top notch and the storyline twists and turns as it weaves a spell around you. Ms. Burton delivers a wild ride from start to finish and as the reader is drawn deeper into this author’s web, they will be surprised as I was who was the murderer and just how much Jenna’s memories will help Rick close the latest string of murders.

We met Rick Morgan in Cover Your Eyes as well as his siblings (Deke, Alex and Georgia). This time we find Rick as well as his retired police dog, Tracker, back in the field as they try to get a handle on a string of murders that cause Rick a major headache even as he is drawn to the forensic artist Jenna Thompson. I loved seeing Rick in th e spotlight as well as Jenna making him learn to live again. Both characters are drawn to one another even as they dance around their attraction. The sparks fly fast and furious between them even as the dead bodies start to pile up, with no end in sight. With the right amount of toughness and vulnerability, Ms. Burton delivers two strong characters who compliment one another. I loved that both Jenna and Rick were independent yet vulnerable. They had issues from their past even as their future looked murky at best. The secondary characters were just as intriguing as well as diverse. All the characters were well written and enjoyable to read.

BE AFRAID left me reeling from start to finish with an ending that had my jaw dropping in shock and I, for one, can not wait to see who is next in the Morgan siblings to find them in the crossfire while trying to navigate murder and relationships. I give Ms. Burton kudos for creating a great series and one I am eager to continue to read. I am now looking to see just what else this author has in her backlist to read while I await the next Morgan book to devour.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

COVER YOUR EYES by Mary Burton

Zebra
October 28^th, 2014
978-1-4201-3211-3
Romantic Suspense, Mystery/Thriller
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained by Library
4 Hearts



Rachel Wainwright is determined to give justice to those who were denied it. A defense lawyer and public defender, she finds herself defending the man put away for the murder of Annie Dawson thirty years before. As she tries to get DNA tested, she comes up against detective Deke Morgan, whose father was one of the lead detectives on that case. As these two butt heads, another murder takes place and as Deke and now Rachel race against the clock, the murders continue. Is this the work of a madman who took the last thirty years off or is it a copycat?

I got to admit, COVER YOUR EYES is a fast paced, edge of your seat thrill ride from start to finish. I was glued to the pages as I raced alongside Deke and Rachel as they figured out clues, trying to stay ahead of a killer who was always one step ahead of them. Ms. Burton does a great job in capturing the heart of the story and that was the relationships between the characters as well as the mystery surrounding the death of Annie Dawson. With the right amount of tension, twists and turns and more, this author delivers a spine-tingling story to keep you glued to the pages till the very end. What really made this different from other crime books was the setting of Nashville. Most books are set out in NYC, LA or other more cosmopolitan places and Ms. Burton delivers a series introduction set in the heart of country music, which intrigued me to no end. I loved how she used this unique setting to backdrop the story/series and give the reader something new to enjoy.

As this was my first book by this author, I found her writing to be tight, storyline fast pace and the characters really enjoyable. We get to meet the Morgan siblings- Deke, Georgia, Alex and Rick. The siblings have quite a lot of issues between them and I enjoyed finding out about them as well as how they related to one another as well as other characters in the book. The author does a great job in creating complex, diverse characters and as we get to know the core group, the reader is drawn into their spell even as a murderer delivers more and more terror. I got to admit Deke and Rachel grew on me. Deke can be an ass but when he saw that Rachel was hurt his softness for her came out. It was such a delight to see this big macho man fall for the spitfire that was Rachel. Rachel is a lawyer and her road to the law was filled with a past that made her who she became. Falling in love with Deke Morgan was not on her list of things to do. These two should have been oil and water but they meshed perfectly together. I loved how they sparred with one another then found a common ground to tread upon. The author does a great job in capturing their strengths as well as their vulnerabilities. The secondary characters are intriguing and I am looking forward t o seeing if they pop up in future books set around the Morgan siblings.

The ending I got to warn you is explosive as the author throws a few twists that left my jaw dropping and me flipping the pages quickly to see where it would go. I was shocked to find out who the murderer was and I am thinking you will be as well. If you enjoy and edge of your seat ride in your books, then try COVER YOUR EYES and get ready to succumb to the world that Mary Burton created. I am eager to see where she goes with this series in the future.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

NO ESCAPE by Mary Burton

Zebra
November 7, 2013
ISBN-978-1420125061
Romantic Suspense
Obtained via:  publicist

3-1/2 Hearts

Jo Granger has built a nice life for herself.  Rising from the ashes of a tragic miscarriage and a marriage gone wrong she has a good life as a psychologist, consulting in a variety of police cases and in particular for the Texas Rangers. And then one day her past shows up on her doorstep…or at least in a case she has an interest in.

Ranger Brody Winchester has been transferred to the Austin, Texas office and so far has managed to avoid running into the one woman he never quite got over…over his personal guilt that is. To his credit he brought about the conviction of serial killer Harvey Day Smith.
 

When Smith decides time and circumstances lead to the time for him to confess just where he buried a number of missing women he summons Jo Granger to the prison where he awaits death.  Smith doesn’t disclose the locations of the women’s graves out of the goodness of his heart. Oh no. It is because he has a secret that will tear apart Jo’s carefully constructed world.

Jo had no inclination or desire to ever lay eyes on Brody again, but when his case lands in her lap because she is the one person Smith wants to share his secret with, the couple must put aside their differences to recover the deceased women’s bodies.  But Smith’s reign of terror didn’t end with his prison sentence. Oh no. Not for a minute—someone more nefarious is lurking in the shadows and he’s coming after Jo.  As the clock runs out, with the killer closing in on Jo, she and Brody are forced to look at their past and what happened between them.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed THE SEVENTH VICTIM which told the story of Ranger Jim Beck and how he met and saved Lara Church from a cold blooded serial killer.  Jo first appears in THE SEVENTH VICTIM where she caught my attention as an interesting character. It was a pleasure to see she received her own story in NO ESCAPE.

 

While THE SEVENTH VICTIM is a total white-knuckle, breath holding thriller, NO ESCAPE is much more a romantic suspense. There were still some of the same page turning-can’t-put-this-book-down moments, there was a definite shift to featuring more romance. To a point I missed some of that spine tingling drama, but Jo and Brody have an interesting past. I could have done with a few fewer tellings of what happened between them 14 years before—it became a bit repetitious to the point I wanted to say “I got it! I got it! Move on!”

There were a number of typos, more than what you usually see, in the copy I read, but given it was an ARC one hopes they were picked up in the final copy edit. That said, they didn’t detract all that much from the story. In THE SEVENTH VICTIM Jo worked directly for the Rangers and seemed to have an office in their building.  In NO ESCAPE she works for a private psychology practice but there was no explanation for why she changed her practice group or area.

 

One thing I will say about Ms. Burton is that she creates some of the scariest serial killers I’ve read.  She did a fabulous job getting into Smith’s mind and telling her readers his story. Equally so are Scott and Tim with what they add to the dark mix that is a killer stalking his prey.

 

NO ESCAPE is Mary Burton’s second book featuring the Texas Rangers based in Austin, Texas.  Interestingly, despite some of the characters from THE SEVENTH VICTIM, featuring in NO ESCAPE, the books are not billed as a series.  They are completely stand-alone stories. That said, I hope there are more of the Ranger’s story—in particular Santos’s cause he’s just a really nice guy who never seems to get the girl!

 

 

"This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book."